Goding out alone in the day or night can be a very dangerous prospect – depending on where you go and when. Unfortunately, women are more at risk than men regarding an attack. There are, however some things that you can carry and learn to help prevent these from happening or to help you if you are in one of those situations.

Your Bag

If you carry a handbag make sure that it is closed up with a zip, and if it closes with a flap carry the fastening tucked into your body. This makes it harder for pick-pockets to sneak a hand in. Wear backpacks backward for the same reason, and cross shoulder bags across your body – don’t just leave them dangling off a shoulder.

Handbags are also a great distraction, if you find yourself against a mugger who is asking for your bag – he’s likely going to be more interested in the bag than in you. Throw your bag away from your person and run in the opposite direction.

Carry-ons

You should keep at least one of these three things on your person at all times; pepper spray, a handheld taser, and a rape alarm. Pepper spray is pretty much how you see it in the movies, it hurts like hell, and will give you the opportunity to get away. A taser isn’t a toy; it can seriously hurt someone, and seeing as you need to be close to use it, it should be a last resort, click here to learn more. And a rape alarm works by pulling the cord and throwing both pieces in opposite directions – it lets off a loud wail that will alert people to your predicament and location.

Your keys can be a hindrance or a benefit to you. When walking to your car in the dark, fumbling with your keys gives an attacker or a thief an opportunity. When you leave the building you’re in, have your key ready in your hand, and as soon as you get into your car, lock it again. Click here for some car safety tips.

You have probably heard of using keys in self defense, but the common mistake is to place keys between the fingers. Unless you are very lucky, they’re just going to slip without doing much damage. You want to clench the bunch of keys in your fist before landing a hit – this gives your hit more weight, and can help stop your knuckles dislocating.

Self-Defense

Self-defence is all about getting away for your attacker, not about beating them up. You never know if they have any weapons on their person, but always treat the situation as if they do. Surprising them by applying a self-defense move can give you the chance to run. Always run towards the public, they are less likely to follow you, and you’ll be able to get help easier. And remember that unlike in the movies, it is incredibly hard to shoot someone while they are moving, particularly if the attacker is moving too.

The Survival Place Blog: Precautions And Defense For When You’re Out At Night

The US is braced for one of the worst hurricane seasons it’s ever had. The Caribbean, and the US, has already been hit with one of the worse hurricanes it has ever seen. Already there has been 15 tropical cyclones over the Atlantic, the major hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria, have already devastated different areas of the US. So what does this mean for those who could be next in the path of destruction? It means it literally does pay to be paranoid. Check out these ideas on how to stay as safe as possible.

Stock Essentials

If a hurricane hits your town hard, chances are everything you know and love will be demolished. As sad as this sounds, it’s true. Shops will be shut, and getting the essentials everyone else is trying to attain is going to be tough. So pack a few boxes full of things you can’t live without. No, we don’t mean your favourite chocolate bar. We mean clothes, tins of food, water, medicine etc. You don’t know how long you you’ll be without supplies for, so stocking up on a larger amount is recommended. It might be worth purchasing a sleeping bag for all the members of the household. It won’t be clear where you’ll be sleeping for a while. If you have pets, don’t forget about them too!! Stock up on plenty of animal food as well.

Protect The House

If you’re choosing to stand your ground, or if your area hasn’t been evacuated, it’s a good idea to put up a few precautions around the house. The main being boarding up the windows. If they shatter, it can cause some really nasty cuts and injuries. All you’ll need is a few thick planks of wood, a table saw, some nails and a hammer. If you don’t have a table saw, you can purchase relatively cheap one’s from companies such as bestofmachinery.com. They’re just easier to use to cut through thicker wood than normal saws. Size up the wood and cut through. Then nail it to all the doors and windows for extra protection. It’s also a good idea to tie anything down in the garden, or take it down altogether. Whether it be a trampoline or a few plant pots. Bring them inside or get them secure.

Generators

One of the many annoying issues a hurricane causes is loss of power. Even if it is a tropical storm rather than a fully formed hurricane, you’re guaranteed to lose power. So look into purchasing a portable generator. They might be expensive, but it can sometimes be days without electricity. A generator will give you that vital power to be able to shower, and have light during the darker nights. Another handy piece of equipment is a gas cooker.

Preparing for a hurricane isn’t as hard as it looks. With a season like we’re forecast to have, it really will pay to be paranoid. If the statistics are correct, this is going to be one of the biggest, harshest seasons on record, so make so you and your home is prepared.

Nobody knows when a natural disaster might occur that affects their families. However, it’s possible to research the likelihood of those instances by taking a look at local history. Some towns sit on fault lines, and so there is a decent chance that earthquakes will occur at some point. Similarly, some cities lie in the path of tornadoes that come from the Caribbean, and so it’s vital that everyone learns as much as possible about the potential issues they face. Once you’ve done that, be sure to consider the three simple preparations listed below. In survival situations, these concepts could save your life!

Read survival books and articles

There are lots of specialist prepper blogs and sites like Prepared Bee that publish thousands of disaster articles you need to read. Those with the best understanding of the procedures they need to follow are going to survive longer than most. At the very least, you should learn how to start fires and some basic hunting skills. It’s also sensible to find out as much information as possible about natural fuel sources and growing vegetables. Some of the most famous preppers release books, and it’s well worth investing in those titles. You can never read too much when it comes to preparing for emergency situations.

Keep enough food in your home to last for a month

Everyone should make sure there is enough food in the house to keep their family alive for at least a month according to sites like Real Simple. Of course, it’s essential that you use some common sense when you head out to the store. Don’t purchase anything fresh because it won’t last for more than a few days. Instead, opt for canned goods that only require heat as part of their preparation. Other foods people might want to store at home include:

Rice

Dried meats

Potatoes

Beans

Tinned vegetables

If you get stuck for ideas, it’s possible to find prepper’s shopping list suggestions online. Just search Google until you find something suitable.

Invest in a product that purifies water

It’s impossible to tell when an earthquake or similar disaster will affect the electricity and water supply in your area. Human beings will survive for less than a week in most instances if they can’t find suitable fluids to drink. With that in mind, be sure to find a water purification device that does not require the use of electricity. That way, you can take your family down to the nearest stream or river if worst comes to worst. It’s also sensible to invest in some old oil drums for your garden because they make the perfect rain catchers. While salt water is not ideal, a decent purifier will ensure the liquid is fit for consumption. When all’s said and done, it’s better than dying of thirst.

Those three ideas should assist all readers in making sure they survive if a natural disaster occurs in their area. Just as an extra tip, make sure you also keep some emergency radios at home because you might want to call for help at some point. Ensure the batteries are always charged because the power might go down. Whatever happens in the future, people who paid attention to this advice will find themselves in a much better position. So, remember to share this post with all your friends. Well, the ones you like anyway.

The government of South Korea is making every effort to turn its citizens into a country of survivalists. With the ever-increasing threats from the North, South Korean preppers are becoming mainstream, instead of a quirky fringe element.

The South Korean President isn’t taking this lying down. “In case North Korea undertakes provocations against us or our ally, we have the power to destroy (the North) beyond recovery.” (source)This threat most likely will not please the Dear Leader of North Korea, so it’s probably safe to predict even greater hostilities on the horizon.

South Koreans have been warned to get ready.

The South Korean Ministry of Public Administration and Security has issued guidelines for a variety of attacks to their citizens due to the ever-increasing risk of an attack by North Korea. Here are some brief quotes from the Ministry. Go here to read the whole thing.

1. The basics

Despite living under constant threat of war, South Koreans rarely possess emergency supply kits at home or know how to assemble one. This may be an opportunity to put one together, since it is helpful not just in war, but in other emergencies, such as an earthquake or flood.

According to the Security Ministry, the kit should at least include these items: necessary medications, a battery-powered radio with extra batteries, a flashlight, candles, gas masks, as well as food and water for at least three days…

2. In case of North Korean artillery barrage

North Korea often threatens to turn Seoul into a “sea of fire.” South Koreans, so used to the regime’s fiery rhetoric, don’t even blink at such threats. To be sure, though, Pyongyang has thousands of conventional artillery lined up toward Seoul, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

In such an attack, the first step is to relocate to fallout shelters. Make sure you know where to head when at home, work, school or places where you regularly spend time.

There are around 24,000 shelters nationwide in public buildings, subway stations and underground parking spaces…

3. If it involves chemical weapons?

When a chemical weapons attack occurs, a person must immediately cover his or her face with a gas mask or other cloth, and seek safety in higher places.

Animal corpses are one of the first signs of such attacks. Usually corpses of birds and fish will be spotted on ground and in the water.

High ground nearby such as a rooftop is the most convenient place to seek refuge when a deadly chemical agent is unleashed. Most chemical gases, such as sarin, are denser than air, which means they will sink to the ground.

The wind will carry toxic materials, so an escapee must head toward the opposite direction of the blowing wind…

4. To survive a nuclear blast?

A nuclear bomb can only delivered by a missile and South Korean and US militaries here will be able to detect any preparation for a launch. So there will be a loud alarm going on to alert people on the imminent missile attack, whether it is a nuclear attack or not.

Even in a nuclear attack, there is a chance to survive if you manage to go at least 15 meters below ground. Find subway stations. If there is no underground facility nearby, hide inside lead or concrete structures. (source)

Citizens are taking the advice seriously.

The article goes on to describe a video by a popular female comedian that teaches watchers how to create a bug-out bag. But that’s not all. South Korean preppers are becoming mainstream.

When typing “survival bag” in Korean on the video-streaming platform, more than 21,000 relevant videos, mostly uploaded in recent months, are found. This shows that the series of military provocations by Pyongyang in recent months has scared more and more people in South Korea.

“Sales of combat rations, self-powered radios and gas masks surge for a few days after a North Korean provocation,” said Kim Hyun-tak, CEO of the outdoor and prepper goods store Hangangsa.

“The three are considered basic items in the case of war,” he said. “While combat rations have steady popularity for the whole year, gas masks are rarely sold unless the North launches a missile or conducts a nuclear test. The pattern has been almost the same for many years.”

The ministry states each household should obtain processed food provisions for 15 to 30 days to prepare for possible war. It also urges households to pile up enough water, and blankets and clothes that can keep people warm. Other recommended accessories in time of war include a portable battery, gloves and personal hygiene products such as toothbrushes and towels, according to the ministry.(source)

It’s nice to see that South Koreans are heeding the warnings. Of course, any person living that close to the DMZ would be insane not to be taking action to prepare themselves.

When the warnings start, it’s often too late.

Generally speaking, the more dependent a citizenry is, the easier they are to control. In my book, The Pantry Primer, I wrote about the history of using food as a weapon of manipulation by governments throughout history. Whenever the government gives up the Nanny stance and tells people that they need to put on their big kid pants and take care of themselves, there’s reason for concern.

We’ve seen this before.

If you’ve been following collapses around the world for the past few years, you know that right before all heck breaks loose, the government issues a half-hearted warning along the lines of, “You’re on your own now.” But by then, it’s already too late. People who try to prepare after the government tells them to will be dealing with limited supplies as everyone else tries to get prepped too.

The lesson that we can take from this is that being prepared far in advance of a collapse is the wisest course of action. If you stock up on emergency food, water, and other vital supplies before the crowd, you’ll do so at better prices with better options. As far as nuclear preparedness is concerned, there are a lot of things you can do to make this survivable. This inexpensive Nuclear Preparedness class contains hours of recorded interviews with nuclear experts, and this articlehas good advice as well.

Hopefully, South Korean preppers will be able to access the supplies they need at prices they can afford before North Korea speeds up the timeline. Once the attacks are incoming, it will be too late.

One of the most important characteristics of survivalists, preppers, and their ilk is the ability to concede that no matter how improbable it may be for a situation to arise, it is still possible. With the current state of affairs of the world being the way they are, there is nothing in the news that can truly dissuade a prepper from this concept. That being said, what if a nuclear war occurs? No, really: what will you do, and what actions will you take when it begins?

We have covered the topic of preparedness for a nuclear war before, but we have not discussed immediate actions to take within the first hours that such a nightmare becomes a reality. First, let us mention again Cresson Kearney’s work “Nuclear War Survival Skills,” and downloadable from the internet. It is the end-all, be-all for information on preparedness for a nuclear war.

The topic for this article is immediate actions to be taken when nuclear war presents itself; however, stress and emphasis must be made on preparations beforehand. You want to garner all of the supplies possible beforehand and prepare a fallout shelter before the football game kicks off. This will cut down on the scrambling when it all comes about. There will be enough confusion in the works, and you don’t need to make any more for yourself through a lack of readiness by not having supplies you need in place. Let’s cover some basics questions you need to answer for yourself and your family.

A Plan: you need a plan to “kick into action” immediately, depending on where you are…at home, at work, or traveling. This plan needs to take into account what you’ll do if your engine dies (from the EMP, or Electromagnetic Pulse), for example, and you’re still five miles from home.

“Rounding Up the Tribe”: How will you gather your family together? Do they know the plan and are they both on board with it and prepared to act in accordance with it? You need an ORP (Objective Rally Point), so to speak: a place to meet together in one location, if for the purpose of consolidating and traveling back home together. This family preparedness guide for nuclear disasters is a great primer to get started.

Assessing the Targeted Areas: this must be done beforehand, and if you are in a targeted area susceptible to attack, you better be prepared to move out of it.

Personal Protection from Radiation: (in accordance with your assessment of how much radiation there will be) Do you have Geiger Counters (radiological survey meters), dosimeters, and a suit and mask to protect you from the radiation? If so, how will you get to them/into them when it occurs? What about supplements for radiation poisoning if you are exposed?

[We’re using a “Shelter in the Home” Scenario]: OK, you made it home. Now, do you have backup measures in place for the loss of electricity that will occur? Do you have a shelter where you can “hole up” for at least the next three weeks to a month? Is it defensible? Can you effect such a defense while radiation is still at a dangerous level? Let’s review what needs to be in the shelter:

Food and water supply for all members…at least six months’ worth

Medical supplies and equipment

Shielded electronic supplies (radio, night vision devices, etc., shielded until it is safe to expose them with no threat of EMP) in Faraday cages.

Books and reading material: survival oriented, and also for a diversion

After the exchange has halted: What will you and your family do then? Remain in place, or head for new ground?

Stay alert: Keeping a watchful eye on the news and any threats on the horizon will keep you ready to react at a moment’s notice.

There won’t be a lot of time for action. Hopefully, you’ll be at home, and able to take steps from there. Such steps can include (but are not limited to): covering all of the basement windows with dirt, and if you have a basement or sub-basement shelter, securing all parts of it prior to relocating into it with your family. You’ll already (hopefully) have your supplies ready and in position, but you can also run the water and fill up as many containers as possible to take down with you. Same with food: any canned or dried goods that you can move from the upstairs into the shelter will be money in the bank for you later.

There’s never enough blankets and clothes: stock some of these down in your shelter. Petsare a big consideration that we’ve covered in a previous article. You’ll have to provide for them if you do indeed intend to save them. Special needs members of your family, such as infants and toddlers, the elderly, and any family member with a medical condition…you need to provide for those needs well in advance.

Especially for them, you want to load up on whatever supplies you need to take care of them and move any equipment or supplies that you can manage for them into that shelter. After the war commences, there won’t be any more deliveries of those necessities. Research Cresson Kearney’s work and put these measures into place…stocking up on the supplies you need and coordinating all of your initial actions with your family prior to the arrival of that fateful day. Hopefully, none of these measures will be needed, but if they are, it will give you a better chance if you determine them and implement them beforehand. Stay in that good fight! JJ out!

Jeremiah Johnson is the Nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces (Airborne). Mr. Johnson was a Special Forces Medic, EMT and ACLS-certified, with comprehensive training in wilderness survival, rescue, and patient-extraction. He is a Certified Master Herbalist and a graduate of the Global College of Natural Medicine of Santa Ana, CA. A graduate of the U.S. Army’s survival course of SERE school (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape), Mr. Johnson also successfully completed the Montana Master Food Preserver Course for home-canning, smoking, and dehydrating foods.

Mr. Johnson dries and tinctures a wide variety of medicinal herbs taken by wild crafting and cultivation, in addition to preserving and canning his own food. An expert in land navigation, survival, mountaineering, and parachuting as trained by the United States Army, Mr. Johnson is an ardent advocate for preparedness, self-sufficiency, and long-term disaster sustainability for families. He and his wife survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Cross-trained as a Special Forces Engineer, he is an expert in supply, logistics, transport, and long-term storage of perishable materials, having incorporated many of these techniques plus some unique innovations in his own homestead.

Mr. Johnson brings practical, tested experience firmly rooted in formal education to his writings and to our team. He and his wife live in a cabin in the mountains of Western Montana with their three cats.

There are a lot of people stranded in the areas that are likely to be the hardest hit by Hurricane Irma. While it’s easy to say, “Oh, they should have left earlier” and run through the gamut of blame, the fact remains that there are all sorts of reasons that leaving didn’t work out.

The point is, for many, it’s too late. There is no further option for escape from what will most likely be a category 4 or 5 hurricane. (Good news – Friday morning, Irma was downgraded to a Category 4 Hurricane, with “only” 145 mph winds. Please don’t be deluded into thinking this lessens the danger dramatically, however. Hurricane Harvey was a Category 3 and we all saw what happened to Texas.

Here’s an explanation of the categories.

I can’t urge you more strongly: evacuate if you can at all. (Here’s an evacuation checklist.) This is a life-threatening hurricane, potentially the strongest to ever hit the country in recorded history.

What to do if you can’t evacuate

The hurricane is definitely headed toward Florida. That turn we were all hoping would send Irma out to sea didn’t happen – she’s headed west, straight for Miami. Not to scare the daylights out of you, but this is what it looked like on a webcam in St. Maarten. You’re going to want to do what you can to be ready.

If you’re in Florida, it’s too late to order online. There is practically no chance that the items will reach you. You aren’t going to be able to buy standard hurricane supplies at the store at this point, either, so you’ll have to make due with what you have or can still acquire.

Let me be absolutely clear, lest someone accuse me of recommending that people remain in their homes: remaining at home is not a wise course of action. If you haven’t been able to evacuate, here is a list of numbers that you can call to get help and get to a safe shelter before the storm hits. Do not wait until the storm hits to ask for help. Be proactive and do so now.

If you have absolutely no other option, below, you can find the best advice I can offer.

Water

Water is sold out across the state. But, your taps are running just fine, right?

Fill every container you can get your hands on with tap water so that you have something to drink. It’s likely that you can still buy containers that will hold water. Get Mason jars, pitchers, canisters…whatever you can find to hold water. Then fill ALL of them, immediately. Use empty soda bottles or water jugs, too.

Fill one-gallon Ziploc bags with water and freeze them, allowing room for expansion. Not only will this provide drinking water, but the ice will help keep your food safe for longer.

When the storm is about to hit, fill sinks and bathtubs with water. This can be used for sanitation.

Medications

Fill prescriptions for any essential medications immediately. Plan for at least 2 weeks of medication to be on hand in the event that pharmacies are closed after the storm

Food

If there’s anything available, buy food that doesn’t require any cooking. At this point, you can’t afford to be picky. Get enough for at least a week, preferably two.

Money

Keep some cash on hand, preferably in small bills. If there is a regional power outage, you won’t be able to use a debit card or credit card during the aftermath. I suggest keeping several hundred dollars if you can.

Shelter

There are shelters set up all across Florida for those who could not evacuate. You can find a list here. Florida governor Rick Scott said that if you need help you should ask now, because, “we can’t save you once the storm hits.” Particularly if you are in a manufactured or mobile home, there is practically zero chance it will be able to withstand winds of 180 mph or greater.

If you must stay in your home…

Secure anything outside that could become a projectile. (Barbecues, bicycles, outdoor furniture.) If you can’t secure the items, bring them inside.

Clear your rain gutters and downspouts. This will help reduce the risk of flooding in some cases.

Trim trees. If you have branches hanging over your home, remove them if you can. If you can’t, do not use the room beneath the branches for shelter during the storm.

Turn off propane and outdoor utilities. If recommended by officials, turn off the utilities to the house. If the power goes out, turn off your breakers to avoid potential surges.

Unplug appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer. Set those at the coldest setting to keep your food safe for as long as possible in the event of a power outage.

Board up your windows to reduce the risk of injury from flying glass. Keep curtains closed for added protection. Do NOT tape them – see the video below.

Secure exterior doors. While it may not be sufficient, you can use a bar or place a large piece of furniture in front of them.

Close all interior doors.

Find the innermost, sturdy part of your home in which to take shelter during the worst part of the storm. Stay away from windows and skylights. A downstairs closet, hallway, or bathroom may be the best option. If you have a basement, this could provide the most safety. Shelter under a sturdy piece of furniture.

In a high-rise, floors 3-10 are considered to be the safest. Above and below those floors, people should evacuate or take shelter between those floors.

Watch for storm surges. If you’re near the coast, 10-20 foot storm surges are expected. Not only can these cause tremendous structural damage, but if you are caught in one, you could drown or suffer serious injuries by being slammed around by the water.

Don’t be fooled by the eye of the storm. There is a lull during the eye of the storm that can deceive people into believing that the worst is over. Unfortunately, high winds are likely to pick back up again shortly, so don’t be caught off guard. This lull can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 45 minutes.

The following video has some useful tips.

And here are more expert tips from Hurricane Joaquin, a Category 4 hurricane that hit the East Coast in 2015:

The aftermath is dangerous, too.

Once you’ve survived the hurricane, you must take care to survive the aftermath. As we saw during Hurricane Harvey, a disaster of this level is the gift that keeps on giving. You must watch for:

Irma is not expected to hit Georgia and South Carolina until Monday and Tuesday, respectively. This means there is still a possibility of ordering some items online. (See this hurricane guide if you have more time to prepare.)

Any tips from those who have weathered a hurricane at home?

Please share your advice in the comments section below. Your suggestions could save someone’s life. Due to the extreme nature of this situation, I urge you to be civil. In other words, if you’re a jerk, I’m deleting your comments.

Very best wishes to those in the path of danger. Please keep us posted when you can.

A hurricane preparedness checklist will provide reassurance that you will have thought of all the essentials (provided that they are on the list) and will greatly reduce the likelihood that you will forget something during the stressful time immediately before a potential hurricane disaster.

Note: No list is a perfect or complete list because we all have our own unique circumstances, concerns, and existing resources. Besides, it would take a book to complete one… That said perhaps this list will help get you going in the right direction. It is intended to provoke thought, prepping & preparedness for a hurricane.

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS: GENERAL SUPPLIES

Pack a “Bug Out Bag” and/or “72 hour kit”: This bag of contents should be packed with essential supplies, food & water, clothing, and whatever you feel is important to have during an evacuation. There are lots of articles on our site with more specifics…

Cash: ATMs and credit card machines may not work for a while after the storm.

Battery-operated radio: Make sure you have extra batteries too, so that you can keep up with news reports and alerts. Hand-crank radios work well, too.